Thank You, Feminista Jones!

In 2018, Feminista Jones developed and curated a week-long celebration of the contributions and lives of Black Women that perfectly intersects the last week of Black History Month and the first week of Women’s History Month. Black Women’s History Week brilliantly invites us to use social media to educate ourselves and each other!

I first participated via IG in 2023. This year, I’ll be sharing on TikTok

Each day offers a unique opportunity to celebrate!

Day 1: A Black Woman You Admire
Day 2: A Moment In Black History
Day 3: A Black Woman From Another Country
Day 4: A Black Woman Who’s Contributions Have Made Your Life Better
Day 5: A Black Woman Artist
Day 6: A Powerful Quote From A Black Artist
Day 7: A Dedicated Celebration For Black Women

How will you celebrate #BWHW?

My 2023 BWHW Instgram Posts!

@therapywithmi

Day 4: A Black Woman Who’s Contributions Have Made Your Life Better

One of the best gifts anyone can give a person is language… language in terms of new terms, ideas, and perspectives to understand oneself and the world around them better. Feminista Jones has been one of the most generous givers of language understanding and courage I’ve encountered in my adult life. For those who are unfamiliar:

“Feminista Jones is an educator, feminist writer, public speaker, community activist, and retired social worker. She is an award-winning writer and the author of the critically acclaimed Reclaiming Our Space: How Black Feminists Are Changing the World From the Tweets to the Streets (Beacon). Her work centers around diversity, inclusion, and equity, queer identity, race and culture, feminism and intersectionality, mental health, and social work. She is a Ph.D. candidate at Temple University, where she also teaches courses on the African American Queer Experience, The Black Woman, Race and Media, and others related to the intersections of race, gender, and sexual identity.”

https://www.feministajones.com/about-feminista-jones

In 2014, I was five years removed yet severely impacted by my mother’s death. A young (and single) mother myself, I vacillated between profound grief and loss and fear of an emerging identity not held in check by my patriarchal and religious upbringing. I longed for my maternal compass's unwavering love, support, and example. I also knew embodying many of her deepest beliefs would betray the woman I authentically longed to be.

During this “valley of decision,” my busy little thumbs led me to a corner of Black Twitter where #youoksis was examining the impact of street harassment on Black Women. It was here that I was first introduced to Feminista Jones….

And honey! … Baby Child… listen… when I think of my earliest encounters with the work and communications of Feminista Jones, two things play in my mind:

1.The hook to Mystikal’s Bouncin’ Back

You keep bumping me against the wall

Yeah, I know I let you slide before

But until you seen me...trust me! You AINT SEEN BOUNCING BACK!

2 . A quote I’ve seen Feminista post several times

“Just cause you new to me, don’t mean I’m new to this”!

No matter the flavor of misogynoir that filled her comments, Jones may intellectual light work of those who tried it. Her quick wit and insight showed me that feminism wasn’t just the annoying notions about my palm-colored counterparts. Jones lives a Black Feminism that makes sense and challenges my own status quo.

As a Social Worker and the daughter of a woman who loved Black Literature and Pan-Africanism just a little less than she loved Black Jesus, I’ve always had varying degrees of familiarity with Black Feminism and Black feminists. My upbringing allowed for a reverence of the talent, works, and social and political contributions of great women such as Angela Davis, Patrice Collins, Alice Walker, etc. But if I began to drift too close to Black feminist idealogy, I was quickly snatched back by Black religious dogma that warned me not to embody the more controversial parts… The parts that would, at best, alienate Black men or, at worst, further harm and serve as division in the Black community.

But Feminista!… But Feminista Jones was not some distant concept of a bygone era. She was /is the real-life embodiment I was told to fear. Her advocacy, social media engagement, pop culture acumen, excellence in academia, and unrelenting and unapologetic sense of self “broke the glass” in my experience of Black Feminism.

Deep down, I’d long resented the feeling of having to prioritize my race over gender. The more I engaged in Feminista Jones’ blogs and posts, the more the memories from childhood began ushering themselves to the forefront of my awareness. I recalled how upset I was with my family for taking the side of Clarence Thomas and harshly judging Anita Hill. I started to understand why I couldn’t forgive myself for my own sexual assault because of the contradictory messages I was receiving around the Mike Tyson rape trial.

I’m still negotiating to miss my mother, appreciating her love, wisdom, kindness, compassion, and the resentment I felt for how she upheld patriarchal ideas that hurt me.

My revelations and ongoing transformation are a direct result of being an informal student of Feminista Jones. Her reflections have helped me better understand and deconstruct my adherence to patriarchy. The seeds she’s sown yield much fruit, but her labor surely comes at a cost. There was an occasion when she shared how the public could support her work. I truly wanted to contribute, but my coins were low. I could afford about $5. I was embarrassed by the amount, and I messaged her to explain my situation as a low-income single parent and how I wished I could do more. She graciously responded and instructed me to use my $5.00 on my babies and myself. Even in that moment, she gave me so much. She didn’t know I came from a church background where I had been shamed into tithing $6.00 dollars of the $60.00 I had received in monthly child support. That simple encounter helped me experience kindness without earning it.

She may never know her work has helped me and countless other women stop arbitrarily asking for permission to exist. But I hope she does!

I hope this post helps one more Black Woman become aware of Feminista Jones, Black Women’s History Week, and how Black Feminism is foundational for the liberation of all peoples.

Thank you, Dr. Feminista Jones! For all you do and for who you are, we are grateful!